Tommy A - 4-5-2005 at 05:52 PM
Friend of mine is thinking of going to Cuba via Mexico (not legal OK. O.K.) does anyone have a friend who has done this and can he flyout of Tijuana
or just Mexico City?
[Edited on 4-6-2005 by Tommy A]
[Edited on 4-6-2005 by Tommy A]
Tim - 4-5-2005 at 06:01 PM
An old co-worker of mine used to fly out of Tijuana to Havana. I never did get details from him but I think he connected in Mexico City.
TJ to Havana......
Pompano - 4-5-2005 at 06:21 PM
You can also make connections from Mexico City (or Canada)..with lot cheaper fares. New Years Eve is a very good time.
David K - 4-5-2005 at 06:27 PM
BajaCactus and Lorenia went there on vacation or honeymoon... I am expecting a call from him, I will ask or better... get him on the board!
Aeromexico or Mexicana
Gypsy Jan - 4-5-2005 at 07:50 PM
asks you if you are originating from the U.S. or Mexico or...
Pick Mexico, the website will give you info on flights to Havana.
Also, if you plan to book your flight through AMEX, have them connect you with a Mexican travel agent. The TJ and Mexico City AMEX travel offices
have English speaking agents who are very professional and helpful.
lizard lips - 4-6-2005 at 01:43 AM
Ive been there twice in the last 2 years and flew TJ-Mex-Cancun-Havana
Cuba
Phil S - 4-6-2005 at 05:03 AM
SAy, L.L. Would you go back again? We found flying out of Loreto to Mexico City a "cup of tea". Connecting flights to Cuba are EZ!! You have
relatives there, or are you just tourist? Our dentist in LaPaz just got back from there couple weeks ago (yes Mexican lady) Took her whole family. I
think I helped pay for that trip also. Root canals you know!!!!! Anyway, a friend last year went there from Australia. What do you find that you
enjoyed the most while there?
Pompano - 4-6-2005 at 06:00 AM
Phil..I will butt in with what I enjoyed the most...bass fishing in Lake Hanabanilla. And the change back in time riding some vintage taxis.
bill erhardt - 4-6-2005 at 06:35 AM
I sailed to Cuba on a sailboat a few years ago and put in at Marina Hemingway, just west of Havana. Rented a car in Havana and drove to a resort near
the Bay of Pigs. I wanted to fish the salt flats near there for bonefish, but for some reason the army would not allow fishing on the flats. I ended
up motoring a couple of hours up a river to a point where an upwelling of saltwater provided a breeding ground for tarpon and snook. Apparently that
part of the island is honeycombed with underground salt water rivers. The US invasion at the Bay of Pigs remains very much in the memory of the
Cubans and there was a guard station with a crackling radio where we launched our boat in the river. The guard raised his eyebrows a bit at a visitor
from the US, but my guide overruled any objections he might have had. I had a great day catching small tarpon and snook on light tackle.
After the cold weather and wind of last winter I was planning a return trip this year, but the relative warm and calm weather in Loreto kept me here
fishing for yellowtail. Should have gone to Cuba.
Tommy A - 4-6-2005 at 07:42 AM
Can anyone recommend a place that they have stayed? Hotel or private house
Thanks for all the great responses
[Edited on 4-6-2005 by Tommy A]
Pompano - 4-6-2005 at 07:54 AM
Assuming you are going to Havana...there is some good old charm in the Nacional or the Copacabana. But there are tons more.
bill erhardt - 4-6-2005 at 08:07 AM
I stayed at the Ambos Mundos in Havana. Hemingway kept a room there and it is just what you would expect a 1940's hotel in Havana to be. Near the
Bay of Pigs I stayed at Villa Horizontes Playa Larga. The Villa is a bare-bones "resort" where there were a lot of German and Canadian tourists when
I was there.
lizard lips - 4-6-2005 at 08:32 AM
There are soo many places to stay. I stayed at the "Hotel Nacional", which is a landmark hotel. It is a beautiful place but they have not upgraded it
since the time Bautista was Pres. The Cuban people are great but the Govt. is a little paranoid of people especially like me who was working there
without a permit.
wilderone - 4-6-2005 at 08:57 AM
There is very detailed information on travel to Cuba as a US citizen (if you're a Mexican citizen, not the same situation at all), on the Lonely
Planet forum: www/thorntree@lonelyplanet.com. There is a specific site for Cuba. There are recommendations for "particular" lodging (in people's
homes), how to use visas and passports to avoid the apparent appearance of travel in Cuba, "tipping" the customs guy not to stamp your passport, etc.,
and all other Cuba travel advice. This is a very active forum with very detailed, reliable info.
Tommy A - 4-6-2005 at 09:28 AM
Wilderone.
Wow great site www/thorntree@lonelyplanet.com I owe you one!
Nikon - 4-6-2005 at 09:30 AM
Perhaps Circa 1958. Bautista fled the country on New Year's Day 1959.
Pompano - 4-6-2005 at 09:34 AM
Could have been the previous winter....long time ago.
Nikon - 4-6-2005 at 09:35 AM
Affirmative. I was warming the seat of a desk in the ninth grade.
Pompano - 4-6-2005 at 09:41 AM
I was a younster too..and becoming Huckleberry Finn....leaving a 'cold and empty' seat in 10th grade!
bajajudy - 4-7-2005 at 09:22 AM
We have been to cuba a number of times and always fly out of mex city. Since we live here we have never had to answer the "what other countries did
you visit ?"question. It is an early morning flight and we always stay at the airport plaza hotel...free shuttle to and from the airport. We have
stayed at the National and the Copacabana, both nice. I have a website for descriptions of all the hotels but I am not at home with my bookmarks.
Will post them later. We stayed in the Engleterre once too. The rooms are small but it is definitely in the middle of all the action. there is a
wonderful restaurant right in front of the capitol. It is the spanish word for lily which escapes me. It is up a flight of stairs which are under a
neon sign for the restuarant....cheap and excellent.
If you happen to be in Havana Saturday, at 5pm there is a concert at the Las Vegas Cabaret with a bunch of old timers. Fabulous music, dont be put
off by the way the place looks...it rocks. We went for the first show and stayed through the second. There is a nice paladar on the corner right
down the street...ask someone working the door where it is....one of the best we ever ate in!
You will love it.
bajajudy - 4-11-2005 at 06:07 PM
Found it!
http://www.vacacionartravel.com/HotelInfo.aspx?lng=2&hc=...
Expensive
rogerj1 - 4-11-2005 at 11:08 PM
I'm surprised at the rice of the Cuban hotel. It must be very nice. I assumed Cuban prices would be low.
Pompano - 4-12-2005 at 05:18 AM
Most of the 'old', yet still very good, hotels and resorts are still a bargain. Like anywhere, you have to shop around ...or use forums like this.
You should be able to find a great place and have fun for less than $100/day.
bajajudy - 4-12-2005 at 06:36 AM
The hotel that shows up on that link is one of the most expensive. Did you look around the site? They usually have some rooms featured on their home
page that are good value.
wilderone - 4-12-2005 at 08:48 AM
Staying at Casa Particulars is a popular option. Most come with meals, some with private bathrooms. If you want to get in touch with Cubans and get
to know real Cuba, you might consider casa particulars. Prices range around $35-50/nt.
bajajudy - 4-12-2005 at 09:16 AM
How does one get in touch with a casa particular?
You have to have all your ducks in a row when you apply for your visa and they want to know where you are staying every night.
Please let me know if you find a resource for casas particulares.
Tommy A - 4-12-2005 at 09:37 AM
Judy check out this site. Cuba-Junky
http://www.cuba-junky.com/
bajajudy - 4-12-2005 at 12:46 PM
That is exactly what I have been looking for.
Muchisimo Gracias, Tommy
wilderone - 4-12-2005 at 04:25 PM
Try these too:
?I used www.cuba.tx You go to their listing of hotels, which goes from five to two star (which is in your price range), and then the price quoted is in
euros. It is very quick and easy to book the room on a secure site, and they just hold your credit card number, they don't actually take the money out
until you arrive.?
viajaracuba@yahoo.es
http://www.geocities.com/alquilercasahabana/index.html
bajajudy - 4-12-2005 at 04:39 PM
wilderone
I cant get to www.cuba.tx
Is it that the correct address?
thanks
I wanna go
bajajudy - 4-12-2005 at 04:42 PM
Looking through my pix has made me want to go back to Cuba real bad.
wilderone - 4-13-2005 at 10:10 AM
That was a quote to took from the thorntree\lonleyplant\cuba forum. I don't know what else it would be if it doesn't work. Try the other two (which
I also got from the Thorntree forum):
viajaracuba@yahoo.es
http://www.geocities.com/alquilercasahabana/index.html
If you take the time to search for info on the http://thorntree.lonelyplanet.com Cuba forum, you'll find tons of info, including specific names of Casa Particulars. Or you can register and ask
your own questions there. I think it's a stimulating travel forum.
bajajudy - 4-13-2005 at 02:08 PM
Thanks Wilderone. That is an interesting forum. Just wish I were going even more. But my life is in Baja now and a pretty busy one with our new
business.
Maybe next year....ojala